


Through Night's Eyes

by Firebird24811



Series: Building Hearthstones, Coming Home [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Homophobic Language, Implied Mpreg, M/M, Multi, Next Generation, Prophecy, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character, a wickedly awesome flying warship, duh - Freeform, its in the background mpreg, magic talking weapons, we see it a few times, well not really implied
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-22
Updated: 2015-03-25
Packaged: 2018-03-19 00:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3589833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firebird24811/pseuds/Firebird24811
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The war is decades behind us. The seven have settled down, and the next generation of demigods and legacies are enjoying the peace and prosperity that the two great prophecies have brought, blissfully ignorant of the cost for their freedom. A calm has settled, the kind that only comes before a storm. This storm takes the form of four new high-alert demigods, one of whom shouldn't exist at all. Between exploring the rarely seen homophobic side of camp, and a dangerous prophecy, the next adventure is only beginning. OC-centric. Also posted on FFN.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You're from a camp called WHAT?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone, welcome to my newest story and first one on this site: Through Nights Eyes! Its just a working title, honestly, but I think it fits. This story centers around my own OC's, in the next generation of demigods. Don't worry, though, theres plenty of legacies to go around, and obviously the first generation will pop in from time to time...let me know if you want to know any trivia about whats up with them! Each chapter will have two different POVs, seperated by name and parentage. I think that pretty much covers it! Enjoy the story-what? Oh...
> 
> I do not own Percy Jackson or any of the demigods in it, sadly. It belongs to Rick. I DO own the too many to list legacies, and my OCs! NO STEALING! No, seriously, I worked on this a long time.
> 
> ~Topaz

**Moriko "Mori" Temple** _(Daughter of Amaya Jay Temple and ?)_

“Mori! Hey, Mori!” At the sound of pounding feet, I stopped and turned to grin at the two who’d run up, huffing and puffing. “Did you see the list yet?” Ace finally got out. Mathletes.  
I rolled my eyes. Ace never learned. “No, you dolt, I’m grinning for no reason. You alright?”  
Addie smirked at her twin, blue-grey eyes twinkling. “He’s just mad because Mom said she won’t pretend he’s sick and keep him home.”  
“I hate camping!” Ace whined. It was true. When we were seven, our moms had taken us on a camping trip and Ace had freaked out: said he saw a dragon with three heads. We’d made fun of him, of course. He’d refused to go camping any more, the big baby.  
“Yeah, well--” two identical heads of ash blonde turned at the sound of a honk. “Oops, sorry Mori, see you later!” I waved bye, then watched my friends race over to their mom’s car, backpacks flapping in the wind. Their mom, a tall, stern woman with Ace’s pale-brown skin and Addie’s intelligent gaze, looked to be in a hurry. As they drove away, I could hear arguing about the camping trip. I decided to go sit and wait for my mom.

What seemed like hours later but was actually only forty-five minutes, I heard a car horn beep. “One moment, Mom,” I muttered, tongue between my teeth. I was in the middle of a stupid math problem. I hated division. The car horn beeped again, and I looked up to tell Mom she’d interrupted me...only to stop. Instead of my mom’s old, beat up minivan, a shiny new caravan was there, driven by an impatient looking woman with blonde hair and grey eyes. She looked eerily like what Addie might look like, aged about thirty years.  
“Moriko Temple, right? Hop in, I’ve got more stops.”  
I gaped at her. Finally, I managed, “I don’t think I should get in a car with a stranger.”  
The woman rolled her eyes and stalled the car. Opening the door, she approached me. I watched her warily, ready to get out my pepper spray and run if need be. “Look, my name is Annabeth Jackson-Chase. I’m from a place called Camp Half-Blood. Your mom knows I’m coming. We’re stopping at your place on the way there, but we received word--look out!” Before I could react, she shoved me to one side and from out of nowhere, a blade appeared in her hand. I screeched. What she did next shocked me even more. She lunged, stabbing at something behind me. I turned. All I saw was thorns and what looked like a giant hedgehog standing on its side. Then, I saw a thorn in my side, Mrs. Jackson-Chase running to my aid, a boy’s face in my vision, and then...nothing.

That was the last thing I saw before I woke up in an infirmary and my life changed forever.

 **Narcissa "Reese" Lockwood** _(Daughter of Alex Lockwood and ?)_

“Dad?” I called from my room.  
“One moment, sweetheart!” I sighed, surveying my mess of a bedroom in hopes of finding something. I didn’t want to bleed all over my room. What seemed like ages later, Dad poked his head in, pursing his lips in disapproval. “Reese...” he started warningly.  
“Do you have any pads left?” I interrupted, trying not to sound desperate.  
Dad sighed. “You know, if you tracked your cycles, you’d know when you’re running low--” He cut himself off, maybe realizing I wasn’t listening. “There are some in the bathroom closet. I’ll get them, but then I have to go to the grocery store. Anything you need while I’m out?”  
As if in response, my abdomen cramped even more and I bit my lip. “Aspirin. And ice cream.”

After I’d dealt with my bodily issues and picked up my room, Dad left with the promises of aspirin. After he’d left, I’d gone into the living room with the good intentions of doing my history essay. That went out the window with more cramps. Instead, I settled down with a mug of tea to watch Disney movies and do some math. I only got up to get a refill of tea and to heat up my rice pillow for my stomach.  
Around two, Dad came back with groceries. I almost didn’t notice him coming in, I was so engrossed in my math. After a while, I looked up when he brought me a cup and some aspirin. “Thanks, Dad.” He put the cup down and handed me the pill, then went out and came back with two bowls of ice cream and handed one over before settling down himself.  
“Math homework? On a Saturday? Is this really my daughter?” he joked.  
I shoved him. “At least I get good grades, unlike somebody. Grandma told me you got an A once in your life. Did you know she still has it?”  
He groaned. “Your grandmother has a wicked sense of humor.” The doorbell rang. Dad put down his ice cream, grumbling. “Probably Mrs. Kynd again.” Our nosy next door neighbor hated Dad and was convinced he wasn’t a proper parent. She was always coming over to check on me. Dad didn’t have the heart to argue with her about the harassment.  
The doorbell rang several more times, rather insistently. I started eating my ice cream as Dad went to see what Mrs. Kynd wanted this time.  
“Excuse me, is this the home where the Lockwoods live?”  
“Yes,” I heard my father say suspiciously. I glanced over and saw him crossing his arms over his chest the way he did when he felt uncomfortable. I wondered what was wrong. Coming over to the door, I saw the woman talking was middle-aged, much younger than Mrs. Kynd. She was a tan, pretty woman, with brown hair in a braid and eyes that changed color. I was very curious now as to what she wanted with my dad.  
The woman hesitated. “Would you be…” She glanced down at a paper, frowning slightly, “Mr. Lockwood?”  
Dad frowned. “Yes. What do you want?”  
“I need to speak with you and your daughter. I’m here about her other parent. My name is Piper Grace. I’m from a place called Camp Half-Blood.”

That was how I learned that my other parent was a god, that I was a demigod, and my life would never be the same.


	2. Don't call me THAT!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calypso's home! Oh, and nicknames are all the rage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured out how some editing stuff works! Yay! Sorry for the drastic change in layouts. I like to keep it identical, but I couldn't resist making it nicer. Again, if you want to know anything about the legacies, let me know! I've already gotten one kudos! Thank ye! I forgot your name unfortunately, but I'll post it in the next chapter, I swear!

**Moriko "Mori" Temple**

_(Daughter of Amaya Jay Temple and ?)_

 

I woke up to a terrible pain in my side, worse then when we had played dodgeball and Lola Scott threw a really big one at me. I had gotten it in my stomach and practically flew backwards, she threw it so hard. This was much worse. I opened my eyes, groaning slightly, to find myself not at school, but in what looked like a small hospital bed. It looked a little like a cross between a nurse’s office and a hospital ward. There was a stupid cartoon picture of...was that a satyr with a thermometer? “Yeah, I think it looks stupid too.” I shot up at Addie’s voice, then regretted it. Addie was sitting there peacefully, reading one of her books. I guess she was waiting for me to wake up.

“Where am I?” I got out. “Camp Half-Blood, apparently. This blonde woman--Annabeth Jackson-Chase, she called herself, brought us here. Don’t worry, your mom knows we’re here. She picked up me and Ace on the way. Are you alright?” I shook my head slightly. “This blonde kid did some freaky magic and got the poison out, but he said you’d hurt for a while because of the manticore.”

I stared at her. “How are you taking this so calmly?” I finally got out.

She turned the page of her book, then looked up and raised an eyebrow. “Actually, you just missed me freaking out. Ace is being shown to the Hermes cabin, but I wanted to stay here where it’s, well, a little saner. Your mom packed you a bag and Mrs. Jackson-Chase picked it up this morning.” I stared at her for what felt like ages. My mom had accepted this, just like that? I would have thought she’d question it a little at least. I couldn’t help feeling a little betrayed.

The door opened and Mrs. Jackson-Chase walked back in. “How are you feeling, Moriko?” she asked me, putting a large duffel--my duffel, I realized--on the side table.

“Mori,” I corrected automatically. Going through the duffel I found my two locked books. One was a sketchbook, the other a journal. They were thick silver hardcovers with fancy locks that actually worked and never seemed to run out of paper. I’d had them since I could remember. The two keys were tucked in a pocket, along with my art supplies and favorite fountain pen that had come with the journal. It was a deep purple-blue, almost black, with tiny golden specks, and never ran out of ink. The ink seemed to change from day to day. Once I knew everything was safe, I looked back up. “My mom said it was alright?”

Mrs. Jackson-Chase was scowling. “Yes. Though she was unusually tight-lipped about your father.” I tried not to laugh. My mom was probably ready to strangle Mrs. Jackson-Chase with all the personal questions. Mom didn’t exactly like to casually introduce herself as gay, just in case she was dealing with a bigot.

“Annabeth?” A darker woman with a long, chocolate-brown braid down her back peeked in, frowning at the woman who’d brought us in. “We’re having a spot of trouble with this last retrieval, apparently.” “The one with Gabe in it?” Immediately Mrs. Jackson-Chase left, muttering under her breath about rebellious children and Percy’s son being in trouble.

The woman came in, followed by a tall girl with long, straight, black hair. She had a steely look on her face, and had a backpack on one arm. Her blue eyes flashed dangerously. “My name is Piper Grace,” the woman said to us, “This is Narcissa Lockwood--”

“Reese,” interrupted the girl, putting her backpack on the floor and dropping to sit tailor style.

“Reese,” Mrs. Grace amended. “Sorry. We got in a while ago with a few others. Reese, this is Adelaide Moss and Moriko Temple. Annabeth brought them in.”

“It’s Mori--” I started.

At the same time, Addie spoke, “Call me Addie--”

“Alright, alright.” Mrs. Grace sighed. She sat down. “Did you guys get the explanation?” Reese and Addie both nodded. I had no idea what they were talking about. Mrs. Grace looked over at me. “Mori, did you ever take a class that discussed Greek mythology?” I nodded. Technically, we’d had a very brief unit on Greece in history, and one in English when we discussed famous stories and legends, but I’d also read up a bit on it. “Well, the fact is, those gods are real, and this camp is for the children of Greek gods. There’s also a camp for Roman demigods…” And thus I got the strangest lecture ever. Finally, she said, “You three are...special. Well, Ace too,” she added at Addie’s scowl, “but the thing is, after the second Titan war, a man called Percy Jackson, who’d been one of the saviors of Olympus, made the gods swear an oath to claim their children by the age of thirteen, among other things. A while back, the senior demigods, the ones who moved across the road to Hearthstone, decided they wanted to help beef up security. Usually demigods are tracked and brought in through RED, but in some cases, an experienced demigod or legacy is better. A couple of days ago, your names showed up on our system, top priority. Thats why we brought you here so quickly. Has anything unusual ever happened to you?” Her gaze went over us, stopping briefly when she saw my eyes. “Di immortales…” she whispered.

I narrowed my eyes at her. Most people had similar responses--well, minus the Latin--when they saw my eyes. I had grey eyes like my mother, normal enough, but silver and blue flecks floated in the irises. It was weird, to say the least. “Yes?” I snapped.

“Nothing,” she said quickly.

“When we were little, we went camping, and Ace thought he saw a dragon,” Addie offered, “and there’s this weird owl thats always watching us from our window and it brought us a mouse once.” I wondered why she was saying this stuff so freely. Addie wasn’t exactly an open and sharing kind of person. It had taken her a year to admit she didn’t have a dad. Before that, she’d pretended he was away somewhere whenever I asked. I looked down at my journals. I had no interest in this conversation.

“Mori?” Mrs. Grace’s voice was gentle, and I felt more willing to tell her just because of that.

“Animals like me…” I muttered. “I’ve always had really good aim…and...” I stopped. I’d just been about to tell her something even Addie didn’t know. How did she do that?

“Apollo, most likely,” the woman mused. “Well, your godly parents should claim you pretty soon. In the meantime, Reese, do you remember where the Hermes cabin is?” Reese nodded. “Please take these two there. Then we’ll come back and you can tell me what’s wrong.” Reese didn’t seem too happy. She spoke little as she led us to the shabby, green cabin. Addie tried twice to get her to talk.

“So...is your mortal parent your mom or your dad?”

“Dad.”

“Has he ever told you anything about your mother?”

Reese flashed Addie an angry look. “I don’t have a mother. I have a father.” She didn’t speak again after that. Addie asked, a while later, about the buildings we were passing, and Reese ignored her. After a while, we got to the Hermes cabin. The cabin was bigger than it looked. It was a large room with several rows of bunkbeds with trunks at the end of each bed. There was one section taped off. That was plainer than the others. It only had two bunkbeds, and only one was claimed.

The teen who took us off Reese’s hands introduced himself as Danny Stoll. “My little brother, Henry,” he said, “Keep an eye out for him. Light-fingered, that one.” Looking him over, I suspected he was the light-fingered one. “Technically, I’m a legacy,” he added.

“What’s that?” Addie asked.

“If two demigods survive long enough to marry and have kids, their kids are legacies. That means they don’t actually have a godly parent, but there’s at least one god in their family tree, so they might inherit something. Legacies get almost none of the perks and twice the scent, so they’re dangerous outside boundaries. We live in Hearthstone with our parents during the school year, and we come here to train during the summer and breaks. A legacy can either stay in the legacy cabins--those twelve over there--” he pointed to the plain looking cabins. Symbols were painted on them. That was about it. “--or they can pick a patron god. Basically, I could stay here, the legacy cabin, or my grandma’s cabin. I chose here. More friends.”

“Addie!” Ace ran over.

“This your brother?” Danny asked, though it was rhetorical. “He’s been spouting math ever since he got here.” Ace was obsessed with numbers of any kind.

“Probably the angles,” Addie said.

Danny looked at them.“Is your mom or your dad the godly one?” he asked. Addie froze. I knew she didn’t want to answer.

Ace had no such qualms. “Our mom’s mortal, but she’s gay,” he said. “She married another woman two years ago.”

Danny shrugged, like he honestly didn’t care, while Addie glared furiously at her brother. “Anyway, I’d show you the undetermined bunks, but I don’t think you’ll be here that long. Probably Hephaestus. Anyway, welcome to camp and...stuff.”

* * *

** Esperanza "Anza" Valdez-Di Angelo **

_ (Daughter of Leo Valdez and Nico Di Angelo and Calypso, legacy of Hephaestus and Hades, demi-titan of Calypso) _

“ _¡Mamá_! _Sei a casa, sei a casa_!” [ _Trans: Mom! You're home, you're home!_ ]

“ _¡Mami_! Look, I built you this _giocattolo_! Without any help from _Papi_!” [ _Trans: Mommy! I built you this toy! Without any help from Daddy!_ ]

“Don’t listen to him, _¡Mamá_. Anza helped.” 

“ _Los niños, Los niños_ , slow down!” [ _Trans: Children, children, slow down!_ ]

I watched as my siblings danced around Mother. I hadn’t seen Mother in two months, and though my other siblings and I were used to her frequent trips elsewhere, this was the first time Atlas had been separated from Mother for so long. Mother had insisted on calling him after her father, even though her father had been an evil titan. _Papi_ could never say no, so Atlas he was. We called him Lassie, and he took greatly after _Papi_. The news of Mother’s latest journey had upset him more than expected. It had taken many promised trips to Bunker 9 and souvenirs from Mother’s trip to calm him. “Where are your fathers, darlings?” 

“ _Papi’s_ working in the garage today. Papa’s out helping _Nonno_.” [ _Trans: Grandpa_ ]That was Molly, for once, not with her precious ship. 

Mother sighed. “Those two. Always working. Well, why don’t we go in the den and I’ll give you your gifts and you can tell me what I missed? Would you like that, _mis hijos_?” [ _Trans: my children_ ] 

As the six members of my family walked into the den, still chattering away, I hopped off my chair, scooping up my current project and dumping it in my tool belt for later. Then I headed to my bedroom. Well, our bedroom. Since Callida, Bianca and I were triplets, we shared a room. The twins and Atlas were lucky. Atlas had his own room, the little brat. Ulysses and Marisol shared a room, but theirs was still less crowded than mine, especially with Marisol spending most of her time on her baby, the Goddess. It was a flying warship, like the one my father had built, the Argo two, but smaller. 

In comparison, our room was cramped, and dividing it three ways meant we each got a small amount and the rest was shared. Our shared space, closest to the door, had a small tv, several beanbags, a low coffee table, and a bookshelf full of games. The wall opposite the door had several windows, and the wall to the right of the entrance had our closets. 

Callie had the first area past a few bookshelves, her area neatly walled off in a sense, with a border of rosy pink duct tape, as well as a huge shelving unit full of fabric. Her area was a little cramped with all the sewing stuff in it, but she had her closet in her room and a pretty sweet set-up. My closet was in between her room and Bee’s, since my area was directly opposite the door. Past the tv and beanbag chairs was a line of dark green duct tape. 

My room was nice and orderly. A tall chest of drawers served as a wall, and my computer hummed happily in the corner desk. My bed was right against Bee’s. While I had a loft bed, using the extra space to store old projects, Bee’s bed was a twin with a trundle and three drawers. 

Bee’s side of the room was the smallest. She spent very little time in here. Most of her time was spent in the garden with Mother. Sometimes I was jealous that she got to spend so much time with Mother. She and Uly got all Mother’s attention, it seemed. The two gardeners of the family. I was often told I was a lot like Papi, with my skills, but sometimes it seemed like he didn’t pay attention to me. Uly was the sword-fighter of the family, Molly was the ship-builder, Nico was the Ghost Princess; Callie was the seamstress, Bee was the gardener, and Lassie was, so far, the little mechanic. What was I to that? I tried building things like my dad, but I wasn’t like him. I wasn’t a gear-head. I liked metals, but to create art, not mechanical things. I enjoyed forging small daggers, because I would always work detailed designs on the blade and hilt. I couldn’t just leave it alone. 

With a sigh, I sank into my desk chair and reached out to play with a scrap of metal. “Hey, Espie!” Uly poked his head in, grinning at me. I glared at him. “Guess who has two thumbs and has a date tonight with a kid of Hebe? Thats right, me! And you said he’d never go for that sort of thing--” 

“You know Kendra has said several times that she goes by female pronouns,” I snapped. 

Uly blinked. “Well, yeah, didn’t I say that?” He appeared to think his previous sentence over seriously, then lit up. “Oh, yeah! Damn it, I always forget...Remind me to put a dollar in the jar.” I rolled my eyes and went back to playing with the scrap, heating up the tips of my fingers so the metal would soften enough to be worked. Uly could be really dense. It was kind of sad. The only reason they were still dating was because Kendra, the poor girl, worshipped Uly. She hadn’t gotten her growth spurt yet, and she was seventeen already. She was short and skinny, even after hours of sword-training. Before she met Uly, she was a mousy little thing hiding in the Hebe cabin and training obsessively. Uly met her when he was thirteen and in his extreme rebel phase. She was being teased by some of the Apollo kids. He swooped in and, in Kendra’s words, “was her knight in magenta-streaked armor.” In reality, he pelted them with water balloons and enchanted stink bombs of his own invention. They were inseparable after that. 

Despite what I told Uly on a regular basis, he really was there for her. He’d been there when she transitioned, went with her to get her first bra, and every fifth of the month, without fail, he came over with two pints of Ben & Jerrys and dollar store romance novels. “Anyway, I know you wouldn’t come in here just to tell me about your latest date. What is it?” 

Uly grew serious. “Remember those trips Aunt Annabeth and Aunt Piper went on to get some demigods?” 

“Yeah. And?” 

“Well, they had a few bumps. Specifically three of the girls and a boy who got brought in. I was wondering…” 

I sighed. “Whats the problem?” I gestured for him to sit in my folding chair I kept for just these purposes. 

After shifting around on the seat for a few minutes uncomfortably, Uly fixed me with his gaze. I couldn’t help feeling a little unnerved. “Okay, so Aunt Piper told me this, and you know her, shes bad at separating what she reads from peoples behavior and what they actually say, but heres what it is. Four kids arrived a couple days ago, roughly. Aunt Annabeth brought in one girl and a set of twins--a boy and a girl. Aunt Piper brought in the other girl. We’ve been having trouble identifying them--I saw we because Tommy and I’ve been hanging around them, trying to see if we recognize anything. Anyway. Theres a fourteen year old girl--Narcissa. Shes been getting real angry every time we ask her about her parents. As far as we can tell, her dad is the mortal parent, but she doesn’t fit any of the Olympian goddesses, and shes way too powerful to be the child of a minor god. With me so far?” I nodded. “Great. Okay, so I talked to her a bit and with my brilliant deduction, figured out two things. First of all, her dad is trans. Second, shes so defensive that the only one she opened up to was Kendra and all they were doing was discussing hormone blockers. Mama asked me if Kendra and I could talk to her, figure out who her godly parent is. I was wondering if you could come with us?” I sighed. I didn’t really want to go, but I didn’t have anything better to do. 

Letting the now slightly warped silver moonlace go, I nodded. “What about the others?” 

“The twins, Addie and Ace, are easy enough. I could tell the minute I met them they were Athena kids. Granted, they said their mortal parent is their mom, but Athena has kids in a pretty weird way, so it makes sense that she’d take female lovers. The other girl is a bit harder. Her names Moriko Temple. I think her mother is of Japanese descent, because she looks kind of Asian. Her skin has a yellow undertone, and shes got monolids. Her hair is about shoulder length, and a really dark chestnut. Her eyes are really weird. They look sorta grey, but in some light they look silver. They’ve got flecks of blue.” 

I started playing with the moonlace again, thinking as I straightened out a few edges and poked some holes in. “She could be Athena. Gods take many different forms, but they always have something that remains constant. For Athena, its her grey eyes. The silver sounds like a daughter of Selene, though you know the old gods are pretty weird. Once they fade, their powers are so little they might as well be plain immortals, or mortals. Their kids tend to reflect that. Remember the Pan kids?” There were only four current Pan demigods, though there had one been seven. A set of triplets and a set of quadruplets. Two of the triplets were satyrs, one of the quadruplets was a tree nymph, and the other three quads could transform into small forest animals. The satyrs didn’t stay in the cabin, they lived with a set of adoptive satyrs, and the tree nymph died when her tree was cut down. Only the human kid and the shapeshifters still lived in the cabin. 

“I don’t think shes Athena. She seemed more interested in the archery arena than anything else.” 

“Apollo, then. Lets just go, okay? I wanna finish Mother’s home gift before she leaves and I need to make it a going away one.” Uly’s lips twitched, but he didn’t say anything, mercifully. Instead, he got up so we could leave. Once we got closer to the Hermes cabin, I wondered why I could hear it from here. We got to the door, and I instantly saw the problem. 

Three girls were tussling, which was nothing new, but usually there weren’t sparks running along one girls arms. I didn’t recognize the sparking girl, but I recognized the two others. Haley Bowman and Jessica Crocus. They were our only current unclaimed or cabinless demigods. Jessica was a fifteen year old daughter of Triton who was waiting for her cabin to be finished, and Haley was an unclaimed thirteen year old. “Whats going on?” I called. Before I could say anything more, a collective gasp came from the group who were watching the fight. But I didn’t have time for that. Because the new girl had twisted her head to glare in my direction, and I was caught in her brilliant blue eyes, shining with anger. At that moment, I knew this blue-eyed girl covered in a literal electric blanket would come to be very important to me.


	3. I'm going to fight with a WEAPON?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claimings, bitches, and sword-fighting ad lib.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you: Archer_of_the_Dawn_Skies! Your kudos were well-loved!

**Adelaide "Addie" Moss**

_(Daughter of  Constance Moss and ?)_

I’m not really sure what happened. One minute we were standing around awkwardly, Danny trying not to make a point of looking above our heads every few seconds. I knew he was looking for something. Some sort of claiming. I just didn’t know what.The next minute, Reese was ready to tackle this preppy looking chick. I admit, I was ready to hurt her, too. She was thirteen, as she’d told us sadly when she introduced herself as Haley, but she looked older, with the build of a slender fifteen year old. She was already developing breasts, and her waist was slender. She was kind of pretty, with her warm golden-brown skin, thick gold sausage curls framing her face, and big, friendly, blue eyes. Then she opened her mouth, and she stopped being quite as pretty.

“Aw, does someone have mommy issues? I wonder what goddess was ugly enough to give birth to you?” she sneered at Reese. Danny looked horrified, and I could hear faint thunder.

Reese clenched her fists. “I don’t have a mother,” she hissed, “I have, and have always had, a dad.”

Haley curled her lip in disgust. “Don’t tell me the gods standards have lowered so much they’ll sleep with _trannies_?” My mouth dropped open. The next second, Ace had to jump back as Reese growled and tackled Haley. The air smelled faintly of ozone. Danny had no idea what to do. Then I heard a shout and ducked, only to see a third girl join the tussle. I’m not sure how long passed, but the fight abruptly stopped when the cabin lit up blue and pink, washing everyones face in a pale purple haze. A girl who had just come in started to talk, but was cut off by the entire cabin gawking at the fighters. The girl who’d joined them last was backing away, no different, but floating above Reese’s head was a lightning bolt coming out of a storm cloud, glowing blue.

Haley had been glowing a pinkish-reddish, but it had faded. Instead of the camp t-shirt, she now wore a Greek-style dress. It was a very pale rose pink, with pale gold shoulder straps that held the sleeves up, before they split and joined again at the elbow with more gold. It tightened a little just below her bust, with a golden belt, before ballooning out. She had sandals that laced up past her calf-length skirt, golden arm bands on her wrists and biceps, and her hair was pulled back in a loose braid, held in place with a pink ribbon. She had a gold chain necklace with a locket around her neck. She was even prettier than before, if it was possible. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but the others seemed to think it meant something. One of the Hermes kids had run out, and the two who were at the doorway had stopped talking and stared. Much like I was. “

You’re drooling,” Mori whispered half-teasingly, though her eyes were wide with shock. I blushed and looked down. The sound of the centaur we had met speaking made me look up, though. The Hermes kid stood by his side.

“Hail Narcissa Lockwood, daughter of Zeus, ruler of Olympus and lord of the skies. And hail Haley Bowman, daughter of Aphrodite, goddess of love, lady of the dove.” The two girls stared at him. “Myles, please escort Narcissa to the Zeus cabin and explain whats going on. Shane, please tell the Aphrodite cabin they have a new addition. Haley, come walk with me.”

“But, Chiron, my stuff--”

“I’m sure the Aphrodite cabin will send over someone to help you pack later. Now come on, miss Bowman. The sooner we begin the sooner you can go to your new siblings.” Haley walked out, looking pissy but somehow even hotter.

“It was bound to happen, stop staring!” A slightly high-pitched voice screeched. A skinny kid who looked about fifteen shoved her way through the crowd to Reese. “Hi, I’m Myles, daughter of Hermes, relax, that just means your godly dad claimed you. You’re just a year older than most kids are when they’re claimed.”

“Why-” Reese began to squeak, then seemed to compose herself. “Whatever.” Myles didn’t seemed phased.

“C’mon, I’ll show you your new cabin. Did you know you have a brother…” Myles led Reese and Reese’s stuff out, talking a mile a minute all the while.

I only came back to earth when someone cleared their throat. It was Mori. “Um, this has all been lovely, but its dinnertime on planet Earth, so could someone tell me what you guys do?”

Danny grinned. “Awesome, my favorite part!” A strange horn sounded outside, and Danny bellowed, “Cabin eleven, fall in!” The others scrambled out of their bunk beds and lined up in some sort of order. A few kids ran in from whatever activity they’d been at and wriggled into the line. “Goes by order of seniority, unless you’re counselor. You three at the back.” He addressed this to Mori, Ace, and me. We went to the back like he said. As soon as we got there, the line started to move out and we headed towards a seating area. It looked like a camp lunch area, with about a dozen rows of tables, each a dozen long. Along one side of the area was a few vending machines--”The demigods threw a riot until Chiron installed those. They cost these weird tokens he’s introduced you have to earn through exercise crap, but me an’the Hermes kids hacked it so it worked for anything--”and dozens of people who were literally melting from the sides of trees and coming over were bearing platters of food. I followed to cabin and sat down at a table equally as green and shabby as the cabin. When I sat down, feeling claustrophobic, I could have sworn I got a splinter. I settled for sort of leaning on the bench and mostly standing.

As soon as everyone in the pavilion was seated, the people came over with the platters, placing dishes in front of everyone. I was so busy watched everything around me, I didn’t notice my own food until Ace poked my shoulder. I looked back and found my favorite packed lunch on a plastic lunch tray. A ceramic bowl full of piping hot minestrone soup with fresh veggies, a tin of dark chocolate coated cocoa nibs, and slices of nectarine, peach, and plum, arranged in a pretty design. The lunch lady had always let me take a tray just to feel like one of the other kids. But how could this be my mom’s lunch?

“Lady Hestia’s magic,” Myles leaned over to explain, her hazel eyes twinkling as she watched us. “Being one of the eldest Olympians has its perks. Basically, you think what you want, and the nymphs will bring it. Like a telepathic ordering machine. The cup works almost the same way. Just think what you want to drink.” I stared at the cup. Suddenly, it popped out of existence, and a new cup took its place, an ale tankard style cup with plastic ice cubes, filling up with unfiltered organic apple juice. Curious, I took a sip. It tasted just like the real thing, ice-achingly cold. I grinned. By this point, just about everyone had gotten their lunch.

I was about to see if the soup tasted as good as the real thing, when Danny called the tables attention. “Hermes cabin! Braziers!” Half the group got up and took their dishes to a brazier. The rest got up and went to a different one. Danny looked back, and gestured for us to follow. When we did, he took a handful of turkey bacon and flung it onto the fire, sending it up in flames. “Hermes,” he muttered, then backed away.

“What the…” Mori stared at him like he’d grown a second head. “Why the hell would you do that?”

“Hades,” he corrected automatically, “Burnt offerings to the gods. Its weird, but they like the smell. Generally you send it to your parent or godly patron.” One by one, the cabin shuffled through the braziers. When Ace went in, he tossed in half a sliced zucchini and said Hermes, like Danny had, but I got the feeling he was just going through the gestures. I couldn’t hear what Mori whispered, but she took the longest, tossing all her pocky in and most of her fish.

Finally, it was my turn. I hesitated, then spooned on a generous helping of the soup.The wind changed directions, and I caught a whiff of the smoke. It didn’t smell bad. It smelled like my mother’s home-cooked meals, the smell of baking bread while she showed me what happened to the molecules when you kneaded dough. the scent of barely ripened fruits being sliced, and lots of other things that shouldn’t go together but somehow, they do. I went back to lunch feeling a lot better.

Not much happened for the rest of lunch. Two kids at the other end of the Hermes cabin got claimed, another set of twins, two sons of Apollo. The whole camp cheered as the two went over to the gold-painted picnic table. Kids would come over every once in a while to talk to the others, and they always glanced at our heads, as if we would get claimed next. After lunch, Danny led the others to the archery range. He told us to wait here. “New kids have to get set up with a primary weapon.”

We didn’t have to wait long. Soon two adults walked over. A tan, buff-looking lady with her hair buzzed short, and a friendly-looking guy with messy black hair and calm sea green eyes. The man looked like exercise wasn’t his thing, with a belly that protruded, stretching his shirt a little. I couldn't help wondering what qualified him to help us learn how to use a weapon.

The lady spoke. “Alright, newbies, listen up. Prissy here and I are gonna go through the armory with you and pick out a new weapon for each of you, and teach you the basics. You keep quiet, and if you touch anything you’re not supposed to, I’ll toss you out for the harpies.”

“Clarisse, go easy on them,” the man scolded, “They’re new.”

Clarisse grinned, baring her teeth at the man. “Careful what you say, _Percy_ ,” she said, emphasizing his name, “Remember we’re dueling later, and I might not go easy on you if you keep it up.”

“You would attack a poor helpless pregnant man?!” Percy exclaimed, clasping his hands to his chest.

Okay, maybe I wasn’t the best at biology, but Mom had told me in great detail how babies were born. She had never said men could have babies. Well, cisgender men, I guess. I suppose if you were trans you could, but it got really complex after a while… “Um, excuse me, but--”

“How am I pregnant if I’m a man?” Percy cut in. “Its a long story, kid, and one you probably don’t want to hear. If you’re so interested, talk to an Apollo kid. They can give you the clean version. Anyway, moving on. I’m Percy Jackson-Chase, this...my colleague here is Clarisse La Rodriguez. We teach a lot of the fighting classes here. I’m sure I heard of you before, but just in case, can you give me your names?” We introduced ourselves, and then Mr. Jackson-Chase and Mrs. La Rodriguez took us to a long, low building. Before we entered, Percy turned to face us, looking very serious. “Remember the rules, guys?” We nodded. Clarisse opened the door, and we filed in. 

The armory seemed massive. Rows upon rows of tall shelves with weapons, weapons on racks, weapons hanging on the walls, on display in cabinets and chests, everywhere, weapons. Clarisse seemed truly at home here. She walked along the room, running her hands over the shelves, picking up a weapon here or there to examine it, her face softening. After a moment, Percy called her back and they got to work. Clarisse took the two Apollo kids and Reese to find their weapons, while Percy dealt with us unclaimed kids. Percy studied us for a moment. “Have you ever used weapons before?” I shook my head, as did Ace, but Mori looked up hesitantly.

“Bow and arrow,” she mumbled, “I took archery…”

Percy blinked, then studied her closer. “Alright, then,” he said, “You might like to take a look at our archery section. If you choose that, its good to have a close range weapon as backup, though. Take a look around. Ace, Addie, you guys look around too. Let me know if theres anything that looks like it will fit you.” Mori made a beeline for the bows, but I wasn’t sure where to start. Shrugging, I started to go through one shelf. This one was full of daggers inside sheaths. Most of them were plain with leather scabbards, but some had jewels, and others had designs. None of them were really interesting, though.

“We have all types of weapons,” Clarisse called over, looking at the three sorting through bows with something between disgust and fondness. “Not just daggers. Weapons from all over the world in here, everywhere the gods influence went.” I sighed, but nodded and moved on. This was a rack of delicate looking foils, the handles made of all sorts of materials and in all sorts of pretty designs. Some even had tassels. I flicked through, rather disinterested.

Then a sword on a nearby display caught my eye. I couldn’t see much of the handle through the eagle-beak style stand clamped around it, but the scabbard was a pure white leather, stitched on with the barest hint of black, brown, and grey thread to form a delicate owl feather. The other side of the sword had the same thread used to stitch a name on. It was in a strange language, but somehow I could read it anyway. It said _Profí̱ti̱s ti̱s Sofías_. Prophet of Wisdom. What a funny name for a sword. It sounded like Profit Sofia. I had to take a closer look at it. I couldn’t help myself; I opened up the display to pick it up and examined the handle. The handle was that of a silver claw, the three toes curling much longer than one would expect. When I slipped my hand through the handle, I realizing the claws curved around my fingers, protecting them. I glanced back at Percy guiltily. He was busy talking to one of the Apollo kids, rifling through a stack of plain-looking knifes. Clarisse was showing Ace a wicked looking gun. It would be fine if I looked at it a little longer...right? Hesitantly, I slipped off the scabbard, then caught my breath. It was the most beautiful sword I had ever seen. The sword was made up of wafer thin pieces of a silvery sort of metal. The wafers were melded together in a beautiful design, and it looked like a long birds wing. The tip was a bright gold, and it looked almost like a birds beak that was about to open to impart words of wisdom...any minute now…

“I see the minute I left Jackson gave you kids free reign.” I shrieked at the sound of Clarisse’s gruff voice behind me, dropping the sword. Quick as a flash, she caught it, somehow not managing to cut herself. I stared at her guilty-faced, hiding the scabbard behind my back.

“Its Jackson-Chase! Get it right, Ares Spawn!” Percy called over from where he stood, twirling a golden dagger like it was no big deal. Clarisse bared her teeth at him in response, then turned her attention to me. I gulped, scared of what she might do. Clarisse’s promise of tossing us out for the harpies was fresh in my mind.

Clarisse seemed to know that, because she smirked at me. “Don’t worry, kid, I’m not tossing you out for the harpies.” I perked up a little at that. “Yet.” That deflated my hope. “Truth be told, I’m glad Smartie Sofia picked you out. Weapons do that sometimes. It means they see something in you. Don’t ask me how. The last wielder of that sword…” She paused, thinking. “Ah, thats right. Ulysses S. Grant.” I stared at her, aghast. “Son of Athena if I’m not mistaken. Anyway, this sword has been in good hands. See you don’t dirty its reputation.” She thrust the sword into my hands and walked away briskly. I was left with a two foot long sword, that apparently had been in great mens hands, and a stunned expression. It didn’t take much longer for the others to get kitted out.

The Apollo kids came over soon after and introduced themselves. A nine year old and an eleven year old named Mike and Cass. Mike had taken to the bow like Percy and Clarisse expected, apparently, but Cass was fitted with a beautiful looking dart gun.

Reese arrived soon after, hefting a sword and looking unhappy, though Ace was bright and cheerful as he weld his duel wielding knives that were each the length of his forearm. Mori carried a bow, as well as several daggers, but she was complaining to Mike that the bow wasn’t settling right with her as I walked over to join the group at the door. Mike nodded sympathetically. He seemed to understand completely. I couldn’t help feeling jealous. I was supposed to be her best friend! Not this scrawny little kid.

 _My, my, I sure got stuck with a whiner this change of hands_ , a harsh voice whispered inside my head. I jumped. What was that? Before I could investigate further, Clarisse and Percy halted us. “Time to see what you’re made of,” Percy said. “Lets break in these new weapons.” I gulped. This was not going to be fun.

* * *

 

** Narcissa "Reese" Lockwood **

_ (Daughter of Alex Lockwood and Zeus) _

I stared at the dummy, utterly disgusted with myself. Since Clarisse had grudgingly admitted that Percy was the better sword-fighter, Mori and Mike had been taken to the archery ranges to practice with the Apollo and Hermes group, Cass was taken by some counselor to learn how to use his dart gun, and Ace was with a third counselor. Clarisse had gone off to teach her hand-to-hand combat class, and I was stuck with Percy and Addie. Addie was busy with her stupid sword, so I was stuck with Percy. He kept showing me some sort of stance, but I couldn’t concentrate. It didn’t help that the two kids who’d come in just before I got “claimed” were still there. The boy had pulled Percy aside for a moment, and when Percy came back, Uly was with him. They’d stayed outside while we were looking at the weapons, but when we came out, they were still standing there. I couldn’t help being distracted. Esperanza’s eyes were a deep, dark brown, and when she stared at me like that, I felt like I was getting lost in her eyes. Uly had left to go hang out with the archery range, but Percy had snorted and said he’d be back. “He can’t stand my teaching techniques,” he had quipped. Uly had responded by flipping him off. “Reese, are you listening?” I looked at Percy, realizing he was talking to me. Percy looked annoyed, but amused. 

“Um...keep your guard up?” I offered lamely. 

Percy sighed. “No. I was actually saying that you’re holding the sword too loosely. You’ll drop it on your foot if you’re not careful.” He watched as I adjusted my grip, the sword feeling clumsy in my hands. I wished that I had gotten a sword like Addie. Her sword seemed perfect for her. Percy certainly didn’t have any trouble holding that bronze sword of his. Mine felt awkward, like it was going to fall out any moment. I’d only picked this sword since we were running out of time. I’d never taken fencing lessons as a kid, so I had no idea if this were how a sword was supposed to feel, or if it really was the swords fault. Once I was holding the sword according to Percy’s standards, he went through how to swing it with me step-by-step. Once I’d done it a few times with his help, slowly, he told me to try it on my own. “It’ll be fine,” he reassured me, “Just like before, but faster.” I did it once, slowly, and he told me to keep practicing. 

I tried it a few more times, then got a little braver and tried it at normal speed. I just barely managed to jump out of the way before the sword hit the ground. A second slower and I’d be short a toe or two. I swore violently, shocked at how close I’d gotten to getting seriously hurt. At least Esperanza wasn’t here anymore to see my epic failure. 

“This is why no-one listens to you anymore, Uncle Percy,” Uly called as he walked in. Percy, from where he stood, put his hands on his hips and tried to glare at Uly. 

This failed. “I may have a more relaxed approach to teaching sword-fighting, but my instincts are just as sharp, Ulysses. One more comment and you can demonstrate your skill at losing.” Uly rolled his eyes. Walking over, he took my sword, tossing it casually in the air. 

I squeaked, but he caught it easily. “I may not have the great Percy’s instincts, but a great swordmaster like you would know instincts only take you so far. Reese, hold this and go through the swing for me again. Slower.” While Percy helped Addie with her sword, I dutifully went through the movements like Uly said, then stood still as he examined my hold on the sword. I went through the paces a few more times before he held up a hand for me to stop. “The balance is off. This sword won’t work for you at all.” Quick as a flash, he plucked the sword out of my hand and tossed it casually behind him. I flinched, expecting it to hit something or someone, but Uly snapped his fingers. A thick vine burst through the ground and caught the sword in time, curling around the hilt. It looked like an arm made of vines had reached up and caught the sword. I stared at him, shocked. 

“Show-off!” Percy shouted across the arena, then turned back to Addie, who was staring between the two, looking baffled. 

I had to agree. “How…” 

“My mothers a titan,” Uly said casually, “They’re older than the gods, so they tend to have more power.” Thunder boomed. I looked up at the sky curiously. It didn’t LOOK like rain… “Sorry, Great-Uncle!” Uly shouted. The sky quieted. 

“Who are you talking to?” I asked, confused. 

“Zeus, obviously,” he said, as if it were no big deal. “Technically, hes not my great-uncle. On Papi’s side, I’m more like his step-great-grandson. On Papa’s side, hes sort of my great-uncle, even though I’m not biologically related to Papa.” 

Now I was even more confused. “Okay...wait a second...you have two dads...and a mother?” Uly sighed. Addie’s attention had been drawn to this as well. 

“We’re not gonna get anywhere with the sword lesson, are we?” I shook my head. 

Percy seemed amused. “At least I had them practicing,” he said, “I’ll leave the lesson to you, Uly. Surprisingly enough, we actually got somewhere after Percy left. Maybe without Percy around to bicker with, Uly was a better teacher. He got me set up with the best sword he could find, and by the end of the lesson, Addie and I knew a little more than we had. I was feeling pretty good about myself, actually. 

Then I heard a booming sound far in the sky, and a sharp crack after that sounded more like a slap than lightning. In the next minute, the skies opened up and rained down. Uly stared at the sky in disbelief, then ran in the direction that the booming had sounded from. Addie and I exchanged looks, then ran after him. Mrs. Grace had told us that the camp never had rain. Sometimes it had snow if the campers really wanted it, or if Mr. D was in a bad mood. In the last hundred years, Zeus had only made the camp rain five times, and only once in the last fifty years. 

It looked like the record was about to change.


End file.
